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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28386051">Where Angels Dare to Tread</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizmak/pseuds/Mizmak'>Mizmak</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman &amp; Terry Pratchett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Declarations Of Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Short &amp; Sweet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:22:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28386051</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizmak/pseuds/Mizmak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After saving the world, Crowley is thrown for a loop when Aziraphale boldly announces their future plans.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Where Angels Dare to Tread</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Crowley had a feeling something was about to change when he spied the tottering stack of books on the angel’s desk.  The <em>Encyclopedia of Home Remodeling</em>.  Most of the volumes had dozens of paper slips sticking out, a habit he knew Aziraphale used to mark important passages. </p>
<p>Since when did the angel count home improvement among his varied interests?</p>
<p>He found Aziraphale standing in his back room, fingers on chin, making <em>hm</em> sounds while staring at the tiny kitchen.</p>
<p>“Hm,” he said.  <em>“Hm.”</em>  He flipped through one of the encyclopedia volumes.  “Granite worktop.  Yes, that looks nice.  Full-size stainless-steel refrigerator.  Plenty of room for wine in that.  Double sink, oak buffet, pantry… <em>Hm.”</em></p>
<p>“Hey.”  Crowley waved a hand.  “Hello?  What are you <em>doing?”</em></p>
<p>Aziraphale glanced up.  “Oh, there you are.  Is it time for dinner already?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.  You still want to go out?”  They had reservations at the Ritz.  His friend never missed a chance to eat there.  “Everything tickety-boo, Angel?”</p>
<p>“Hm?  Oh, yes, fine.”  Aziraphale shut the book.  “I am simply making some changes to the bookshop, so that it will be more like a proper home for us.”</p>
<p>Crowley started.  “Us?  Home?  <em>What?”</em></p>
<p>“I’m quite sure you know the definition of ‘home’, my dear.”  Aziraphale beamed at him.  “A comfortable haven, and ideally the place where one’s heart resides.  Perfectly understandable.  I have decided to turn the bookshop into a private home for you and me.”</p>
<p>“Erk.”  Crowley felt a rising sense of panic.  Had they discussed this?  Had they made some sort of decision while drinking?  He couldn’t recall talking over the idea, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t happened when he’d been happily intoxicated.   “You want us to <em>live</em> together?” </p>
<p>Aziraphale set the book down.  “Naturally, we should live together.”  He said it firmly, as if it brooked no argument.  “Why would we live alone when we no longer need to?”</p>
<p>Crowley’s outsized emotions began taking over his brain, as they often did.  “But…but—”  Aziraphale sounded so <em>sure</em>.  Where was the anxiety?  What had happened to the easily flustered angel who hesitated over every little decision?</p>
<p>“And of course, your flat is impossible.  Far too dreary.  I cannot imagine what you were thinking.  So you will move in here.”</p>
<p>“I will?”  Crowley felt a spasm coming on, the familiar feeling of wanting to flail his arms about and make wild head gestures whenever his brain could no longer handle reality.  “Was I drunk?”</p>
<p>“What?  When?”  Aziraphale raised his eyebrows.  “Are you all right?  You look twitchy, my dear.  I should think that after six thousand years on Earth in that corporation, you ought to have better control over it.”  He paused.  “Though even when engaging in exaggerated gestures, I must say that your physical form is still lovely to look upon.”</p>
<p>Crowley gaped at him.  <em>Lovely to look upon?</em>  The statement abruptly rendered him incapable of complete sentences.  <em>“What—uh—er—when—ah—you—WHAT?!” </em> He flailed his arms about.</p>
<p>Aziraphale smiled sweetly.  He patted Crowley’s arm.  “There, there, it’s all right.  Do calm down.  You shouldn’t get upset before eating dinner.  It might give you indigestion.”</p>
<p>Dinner had completely left the confines of his mind.  “What?”  Crowley took a deep breath.  “Did we <em>talk</em> about this?”</p>
<p>“Hm.”  Aziraphale put his fingers to his chin again.  “I wonder if we’ll need a dishwasher.”</p>
<p>“No, we do not need a dishwasher!”  Honestly.  They could clean things with a snap of the fingers.  Crowley did not understand this conversation one bit.  When had Aziraphale turned into someone who just <em>did</em> things and <em>said</em> things without a century of worried contemplation first?   “What we <em>need</em> is to <em>talk</em> about this!”</p>
<p>Aziraphale looked blankly at him.  “Why?”</p>
<p>Crowley gaped.  “Because that’s what people do!”  He felt a strong urge to flail some more.  He tamped it down.  “People don’t just announce that they’re making a new home for their best friend!”</p>
<p>Aziraphale shook his head.  “We are not <em>people</em>, Crowley.   We are an angel and a demon who have kept each other company on Earth for six thousand years.  We <em>were</em> hereditary enemies, at least technically speaking, until one week ago, when we finally managed to get out from under our respective employers’ rules.  One of which is, <em>No living together</em>.  Obviously, since that prohibition is no longer valid, we should rectify the situation as soon as possible, yes?”</p>
<p>“Er…uh…um—”</p>
<p>“Yes, of course we should.  What, exactly, do you need to talk about?”</p>
<p>When had the angel become so assured?  So in command?  Crowley blinked in confusion.  “Ah…well, I just thought, you know, um.  Maybe you could <em>ask</em> me first if I want to move in?”</p>
<p>Aziraphale lifted a single, disbelieving eyebrow.  “Were you planning to say ‘no’?”</p>
<p>Well, he had a point there.  Aziraphale was his best friend who had kept him company on Earth for six thousand years, and Crowley loved him dearly.  Why in the world would he say no? </p>
<p>“No,” he said.</p>
<p>“Clarify, please.”</p>
<p>“Huh?  Oh.  I mean, no, I wasn’t planning to say ‘no’.”</p>
<p>“So that is a yes, then.  Which is what I naturally assumed, my dear.”  Aziraphale glanced at the grandfather clock.  “Shouldn’t we be going?”</p>
<p>“Going?”</p>
<p>Aziraphale patted his arm again. “To <em>dinner</em>.”</p>
<p>Crowley made a few unintelligible noises as he followed Aziraphale out of the back room.  “Yeah.  Right.  Dinner.  Perfectly ordinary, normal, sane thing to do.  Got it.”</p>
<p>
  <em>What had just happened?</em>
</p>
<p>Living together.  Apparently, what had just happened was that he was moving into a soon-to-be-remodeled bookshop-turned-private-home with the angel he loved.  Just like that. </p>
<p>Crowley scratched his head as he walked out of the bookshop towards his car, utterly confused as to who Aziraphale had turned into, and what he had done with the befuddled, nervous, and out-of-touch-with-the-world angel he had come to know and love.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>The next day, they went for an afternoon stroll in St. James’s Park, and during this perfectly ordinary, normal walk Crowley got another clue that his world had changed.</p>
<p>They had been walking for only a minute or so before Aziraphale calmly took his hand, intertwining their fingers.</p>
<p>“Erk,” Crowley said.  The grasp was firm, and Aziraphale was smiling, boldly telling the whole world that Crowley was <em>his</em>. </p>
<p>“Shall we feed the ducks, my dear?”  Aziraphale stopped at a vendor selling packets of cracked corn for that very purpose.  He bought two.</p>
<p>“Ducks.  Right.”  Crowley allowed himself to be led over to the railing, where his friend let go his hand.  “Um.  Huh.”</p>
<p>Aziraphale handed over a packet.  “Something you wished to say?”</p>
<p><em>Damn</em>.  He sounded so confident, and so steady, as if what he had just done was utterly normal.  “You held my hand.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I did.  Rather pleasant, wasn’t it?”  Aziraphale tossed corn into the pond. Mallards splashed towards the railing, squabbling and squawking.</p>
<p>He sounded so <em>pleased</em>.  Well, he had a point—Crowley had felt warmth and affection in that touch, and after the initial shock, had enjoyed holding hands with Aziraphale very much.  Still. This was awfully <em>odd</em>.  “Angel, are we—that is, uh, do we—um, er…oh, hell.  <em>What are you doing?”</em></p>
<p>“Sorry?”  Aziraphale finished with his packet, and looked at the one in Crowley’s hand.  “Are you going to feed the ducks or not?”</p>
<p>“The what?  Oh.”  Crowley handed him the packet of corn.  “Knock yourself out.”</p>
<p>Aziraphale’s brow furrowed.  “Why would I wish to render myself unconscious?”</p>
<p>“Figure of speech, Angel.  It means ‘have fun’.” </p>
<p>“Ah.  How odd.”  Aziraphale tossed the corn, and more furious splashing and quacking ensued.  When he finished, he took Crowley’s arm in his as they stood there, close together, watching the ducks.</p>
<p>As Aziraphale pressed against him, Crowley nearly went into Flail Mode, but remembered the angel’s words about controlling his body.  Enough was enough, though—it was time to be firm with his best friend.</p>
<p>“Aziraphale.” </p>
<p>“Hm?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why have you changed?”</em>
</p>
<p>“Changed?  What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean, ‘what do I mean’?”  Crowley looked at their joined arms.  “I mean this!  I mean living together!  I mean holding hands!  I  mean the way you just <em>do</em> things without fussing and fretting over it for decades first.  What happened?” </p>
<p>“Well,” Aziraphale calmly replied, “you may recall that a week ago we averted Armageddon and were freed from Heaven and Hell’s command.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I kind of remember that.” </p>
<p>“I believe that a good portion of my fretting and fussing, as you call it, was due to worry over Heaven and Hell.  I have been feeling free from restraint.”  He smiled.  “It feels <em>wonderful</em>.”</p>
<p>Crowley pushed out his lower lip.  “But…but I was <em>used</em> to you that way.”  For six thousand years, he’d been used to an angel who was always concerned about doing the right thing, constantly worrying about their friendship, often afraid.  And he had always wanted to ease Aziraphale’s troubles in whatever ways he could.  He had felt <em>needed</em>.</p>
<p>“I’m happy,” Aziraphale said.  “I feel <em>content</em> for the first time in what seems like an eternity.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but….”  Crowley didn’t know what to say.  Of course he wanted Aziraphale to be happy.  Of course he wanted his friend’s worries to disappear and never come back.  Those were <em>good</em> things. </p>
<p>And it wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen this stronger, more assured side of the angel before.  Aziraphale was quite capable of being brave, and even forceful when he <em>did</em> decide on how to act in the face of danger, or on what to do in the face of Heaven’s disapproval.  He was hardly a weak person by any means. </p>
<p>It was just that Crowley took <em>care</em> of Aziraphale when the world, and Heaven’s expectations, grew too overwhelming for him.  What place did he have now in the angel’s world, without his need for comfort and reassurance? </p>
<p>Aziraphale let go his hold on Crowley’s arm.  He turned towards him, his face alight with joy.  “My dear fellow, are <em>you</em> the one who is fretting now?”</p>
<p>Crowley nodded.  “I am.”</p>
<p>“Because I’ve changed, and you don’t know what that means for you.”</p>
<p>Crowley wanted to pull him into an embrace, right here, right now, and never let go.  “Six thousand years…it wasn’t only friendship, Angel.  I wanted to help…I wanted to make things easier for you.” Then again, his very presence in Aziraphale’s life <em>caused</em> a good part of his worries.  He felt extremely confused. </p>
<p><em>Had</em> he done his friend any favors, all these centuries?  “You used to seek me out, all the time, just to have someone to talk to who understood…someone to share your burdens.”  He sighed.  “I don’t know what I mean.  Maybe I didn’t do any good at all.”</p>
<p>“Of course you did.”  Aziraphale placed a hand on Crowley’s chest.  “You gave me the one thing that no one else did.  <em>Love</em>.  And that will never change.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”  Crowley stared at him, all sense fled.  “<em>Huh?"</em></p>
<p>“Come here, you idiot.” Aziraphale pulled him into a tight embrace.</p>
<p>Crowley gasped as his whole world turned brighter than a million stars.  He hugged Aziraphale, he nuzzled his cheek, he ran a hand through his hair, and he was <em>held</em> in such fierce affection that he could barely feel his own self at all.  He only felt an angel’s love enveloping him completely, and he wanted to let him know it went both ways.</p>
<p>“I love you,” he whispered into Aziraphale’s ear.  </p>
<p>“I love you, too.  And I will always need you.”</p>
<p><em>Idiot</em> indeed.  Crowley kissed Aziraphale’s cheek.  “I’m still not quite sure what happened.”</p>
<p>Aziraphale smiled.  “<em>We</em> happened.”</p>
<p>“Come again?”</p>
<p>“They never let us be ourselves,” Aziraphale said.  “Not completely.  We never had a chance to be utterly <em>ordinary</em> with each other.  There were always constraints, and worries, and we were always looking over our shoulders for trouble.  But that’s all gone.  It’s <em>over</em>.  We can be perfectly ordinary, normal <em>friends</em>.  I suppose it’s made me unusually bold with you, but that’s how I <em>wish</em> to be now.  I want to tell you precisely how I feel, and what I want to have, and how I want us to live.” </p>
<p>He touched Crowley’s cheek.  “I shall probably calm down in another week or two.  In the meantime, I should like very much to kiss you.”  He touched Crowley’s lips.  “Right there.”</p>
<p><em>Oh</em>.  Crowley’s brain did a few somersaults, and then he somehow found his voice, along with actual words.  “Okay.  Yes.  Right.” </p>
<p>So Aziraphale kissed him, right there, on the lips.</p>
<p>It was rather heavenly.  Crowley allowed himself to be thoroughly kissed by an angel, one who had no hesitation at all in the act.  Aziraphale’s lips were soft and warm, yet full of a long-withheld boldness that took Crowley by surprise.  He tried to reciprocate, shivers of delight coursing through him as he caressed Aziraphale’s lips, determined to meet his need, and then as the kiss deepened, as their mouths opened to each other, he forgot everything he intended, lost in the fervor, overwhelmed by the love surging between them.</p>
<p>Aziraphale broke away first, eyes closed.  He sighed deeply.  Then he opened his eyes and said, “Was that too much?”</p>
<p>All Crowley could do was nod, because his brain wasn’t back online yet.</p>
<p>“So sorry.”  Aziraphale slid his fingers under Crowley’s sunglasses, and carefully lifted them off.  “Ah.  Your eyes do look a bit shocked, my dear.  Does the yellow often turn that shade of deep orange?”</p>
<p>All Crowley could do was shake his head ‘no.’</p>
<p>“Well, I’m sure they’ll return to normal soon.”  Aziraphale patted his arm.  “This has been wonderful, but I truly don’t wish to upset you.  Perhaps I could muster up a bit of fretfulness over something.  Would that help?”</p>
<p>Finally, the neurons—or whatever he had up there—began firing again, and Crowley managed to say, “No, no, no!  It’s all right!”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“Yes!”  He had not seen this daring side of Aziraphale often over their long lives together, but Crowley knew now that he wanted to see a lot more of it in the future.  He wanted his friend to feel free, and he wanted to love everything that Aziraphale was—or could be—in this new world of theirs. </p>
<p>“I just wasn’t prepared—Angel, you kind of leapt out at me all at once there.”</p>
<p>“Hm, I did, didn’t I?”  Aziraphale pulled out of their embrace, simply holding on to Crowley’s hand.  “And it was <em>fun</em>.”  He held up the sunglasses.  “Would you like these back?”</p>
<p>“Thanks.”  He donned the glasses.  “Are we going to the books—er—I mean, to our <em>private home</em> now?”</p>
<p>“Indeed.” </p>
<p>“Great.”  Nice, ordinary, perfectly normal place to go.</p>
<p>Crowley smiled at his best friend, and didn’t say a word, because he loved this confident and content Aziraphale he was strolling alongside, and he knew that he was needed in his friend’s life, and he knew that he was loved in return.</p>
<p>After all the emotional upset of the past two days, Crowley finally felt as if all was well again, and he could now begin to relax.</p>
<p>As they turned towards Soho, still hand in hand, Aziraphale said, “By the way, there are some remodeling ideas for the bedroom I should like to discuss.”</p>
<p>Crowley thought about sharing a bed with a contented, confident, and completely bold angel.</p>
<p>He nearly tripped, but luckily, he had Aziraphale to keep him steady.</p>
<p>And from now on, he always would.</p>
<p> </p>
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